[The Fantastic Family Whipple 02] • War of the World Records

Matthew Ward has scored a major hit with his Fantastic Family Whipple series. Here the Whipple family enters into a record-breaking contest with their bitter rivals, the Goldwins. But as the World Record World Championships draw near, young Arthur Whipple must join forces with Ruby Goldwin to thwart a devious plan spearheaded by two sinister clowns. (Fiction/Ages 8 and up)

“Echoes of Roald Dahl.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Arthur Whipple hasn’t broken a single world record. But he may be his record-breaking family’s only hope.

For as long as anyone can remember, Arthur Whipple’s family has proudly held the title of “Most Record-Breaking Family on Earth.” But with rival record-breakers, the Goldwins, on the scene—not to mention an age-old family curse—the Whipples may no longer be able to hold on to the top prize at the upcoming World Record World Championships.

When a certain pair of unusually sized clowns causes a regulation hide-and-seek match to go horrifically wrong, Arthur and his unlikely ally, Ruby Goldwin, set out to catch the clowns’ mysterious boss, known only as “The Treasurer.” The young detectives follow the clues through darkened alleyways, dingy nightclubs, and the Gothic halls of the World Record Archives, where they unravel the mystery of the Whipple curse and the secrets of their fathers’ shared past.

Through it all, Arthur must fight to save his family as he struggles to earn his first world record and prove himself worthy of the Whipple name. But when the dust from this war has settled, will there even be a Whipple name to be worthy of?